The Kiss Of Starlight
by TheWanderingStar
Summary: As years since Sarah's time in the Labyrinth pass her by, she finds it difficult to resume a normal life and accept the Labyrinth and it's inhabitants are lost to her forever. But she should know better than that. There is always one who will watch over her. One who will never leave her. (Rating will increase to M in later chapters.)
1. Prologue - Part 1

Sarah grasped her old notebook, thumbing through the well-worn pages. This is where she had frantically recorded all of her memories of the Labyrinth, hoping to keep them alive in her mind. She could see where she had pressed the pen so hard in some places that the ink had bled right through. It was only in the dark of the night that she took the book from its hiding place under her pillow and tried to breathe life into the memories. The longer time ticked away the harder it was for her to believe that all of it had actually happened. That beyond her mundane American life there was another world full of magic and wonder. Her fingertips traced over the crude image of Hoggle she had drawn. The ink of her pen would never be able to capture the earnest gaze he had often given her. It would never bring back the look of heartfelt redemption he had shown her when she forgave him. With a flick of the page she found Sir Didymus and Ludo. The proportions were completely wrong and she could never quite capture the warmth they had both exuded.

But her real challenge came at the very back of the book. There resided a blank page with only one word, written ever so small in the centre.

Jareth

She had refrained from naming him through all of her hastily scribbled thoughts, referring to the man only as _him_ and _he_. Even as she wrote his name, the pen barely treading the page, she wondered just why the very thought of him filled her with such dread. And in her deepest part of her soul she knew it, he excited her.

But they were gone now. He was gone. And all that was left of her life was unbearably the same. She didn't see the world through fresh eyes, there was no dawn of magic on Earth. Of course she had come to realise how selfish she was and how very much she loved Toby. But that was all. The world seemed flatter than before. With the secrets she knew the universe held out of reach, she found herself unsure of what to do. Her friends never answered her calls after the first time, only a few short months ago, and some regretful pride kept her from repeating the disappointment of their absence all over again.

She shut the book, swallowing hard.

It didn't' matter. It was gone.

* * *

And so the cycle continued for a while. In the night she would clutch the notebook to her chest, reciting the words her friends had spoken and the places she had gone.

_If you need us,_ they said.

She furrowed her brow, trying to ignore the burning welling up in her eyes.

"Well, I do need you." She whispered furiously, her resolve to move on and forget finally breaking. Sitting at her vanity she gazed into the mirror.

"Hoggle." She said tentatively. Nothing but the wind greeted her.

"Please, I need you. I need you." Her voice broke as one rebellious tear slid down her face.

"Didymus? Ludo?" Her hands gripped the old wood, knuckles shining white in the darkness.

"You promised. You said if I needed you, you would…" She stopped, closing her mouth and bowing her head.

"You promised." She said one last time.

* * *

A few years went by, and after that night she had steeled herself beyond reason. No more would she call on imaginary friends. No more would she thumb through a bedraggled notebook trying to relive an adventure that was nothing more than a dream. And soon the thoughts began to trickle from her mind, thread by thread and stitch by stitch, the memories of the Labyrinth unraveled until it was no more than a heavy ache in her heart.

But she should have known better than that.

He first came to her on a winter's night. She was trying to finish an essay, her teeth toying with her mouth mercilessly as she tried to find the words.

_Say your right words_ a soft voice taunted her in the back of her mind.

She shook her head, clearing it of the long forgotten story.

And then she heard it. A faint tap at the window. Her body froze and a shiver caressed her back as she heard it again.

_Tap, tap, tap_

Her head turned slowly, eyes widening as she came face to face with a snowy white owl, peering at her through the window.

After what felt like a long while, Sarah rose from her seat, her clothes whispering in the silence.

She stopped a breath away from the window, her exhale misting the cold glass.

She jumped back as the owl pecked its beak against the window, almost as if it was asking for entry.

Sarah took another step back, not able to tear her eyes away from the creature.

_Could it be? No. Of course it isn't…But what if..._

"Stop it." She whispered to herself, raising her eyes to the creature.

"Shoo!" She whispered, motioning it to fly away.

"I said shoo!" She said again, her blood boiling as it merely cocked its head to the side.

"What kind of owl are you anyway?" She hissed, but as she opened her mouth to berate it once more the words died in her throat. At her condemnation the bird's feathers on its chest had ruffled, almost affronted. And if she looked closely she could almost swear its wide eyes had narrowed.

Sarah stared for a while; the roar of her thoughts drowning out the tap tap tapping the owl had taken to again. With a great deal of effort she walked towards it, fingers grasping the soft curtains that framed the window.

_Just shut them, Sarah. Shut them now and it'll fly away._

_But what if-_

_But it's not. Don't let yourself think about it again. Don't be weak._

But before she even knew it, she was speaking.

"It's not fair you know. To show someone something like that and take it away. "

The owl cocked its head to the side, and beyond her certainty that she was crazy she complied with an answer.

"I lost myself in fairytales…everyday, I just…And then you showed up and showed me that they were real. It was all real. And 13 hours later you sent me home and I've got to just forget. How can I forget that there's something more to life than going to school and getting a job and settling down, and I…."

She stopped, surprised to feel the wetness of tears cascading her cheeks. She closed her eyes with a heavy sigh. The owl stared at her, unblinking with large expressionless eyes.

"What do you know, you're just an owl." She whispered, averting her gaze from the bird silently watching her. As her fingers gripped the fabric she paused and met its unfeeling eyes.

"I don't hate you for taking Toby. But I hate you for that." With a quiet rustle she closed the curtains.

* * *

One day she would realize that he came to her when she needed him. She should have realised that he would never truly leave her. Not really.

The second time he came was a blessing and a curse. She had left home, practically running away to college, hoping to find a new lease of life and an escape from the memories she was desperately trying to repress.

And with college came things she had never been truly accustomed to. Parties and drinking and boys…her fairy tales had never allowed her to indulge in these things before. And so came the night when she threw herself into Pandora's Box with reckless abandon.

She drank with her friends and danced all night, her slurred mind allowing one boy with a mass of shocking blonde hair touch her body on the heady dance floor. But as she looked into his eyes they weren't quite right, and in her drunken state she could not understand why. Sarah had never been with a boy before, the extent of her knowledge came from a few stolen kisses and secret fondles that had never really progressed. But that night she took the boy back to her dorm.

They kissed for a while as she tried to battle the rushing dizziness storming through her mind and the rising nausea in her stomach. _This was it_, she thought. _Little Sarah was growing up_. She wasn't quite sure why it made her heart ache so much.

"Do you have anything?" She frowned, about to enquire what he meant until she met the boys meaningful gaze.

_Oh._

She nodded, stumbling away from the bed to her dresser. Karen had pressed a few of the small silver squares into her hand as she bid her farewell to college with a small whisper

"Just in case."

She had thought she could die with embarrassment then and there. Scrambling for the long forgotten things at the bottom of a drawer, she found her fingers clutching the cold package. Her breath caught in her throat.

"Grow up." She whispered to herself fiercely.

Her bleary eyes lifted to the mirror, and with a gasp of surprise she dropped the packet clutched in her hand.

He was there.

He…_Jareth_ stood before her in the mirror with an expression she had never seen him wear before. The planes of his face were still as sharp and inviting as they always had been, and in those few moments Sarah tried to drink in his image as much as she could. Memorise as much as her gaze could hold. But his face…it was soft and intense. A sadness lurked behind his eyes that, even in her drunken stupor, made the very bones of her ache. She followed his gaze to the boy in the rumpled sheets behind her. She felt a heavy shame she could not explain, and as her eyes caught his once more and he gave a very small shake of his head. He bowed his head and in the next moment he was gone.

"Sarah?" The boy called to her. She swallowed hard, blinking back her tears.

"I think you should leave."

* * *

The next time he came to her was New Years Eve. She danced with friends and anticipated the ring of the bells with laughter. But there was one person she could not help search for. Over the months before she had struck up a friendship with a boy in her English Literature class. Tommy. Without even realising somehow she had found her heart beat a little faster every time he smiled at her. It felt good, it terrified her, but it was good. She had never allowed a boy close to her since _that_ night. In a logical state she assured herself she was scared, and only imagined _him_ as some kind of twisted comfort. But she wouldn't allow him to ruin this for her, not again. The clock chimed midnight she turned to search for the boy, steeling herself with the courage to place herself in his arms and kiss him. But there he was, only a few steps away from her kissing a stunningly attractive blonde with full lips and smoky eyes. The pain shot through her in waves and she stumbled onto the balcony to hide her tears. As the chimes rang through the air she felt an arm wrap around her waist. Without turning she knew it was _him_.

"What do you want?" She whispered, refusing to turn her gaze to him. But she could feel the breeze carry his silken strands of blonde hair against her cheeks and the earthy smell of him surrounded her.

He said nothing; she only felt a soft kiss atop her head.

He was gone before the clock finished it's chimes.

* * *

And so it went on. When her tears threatened to surface and her heart was close to breaking, she'd feel a hand against the small of her back, a whisper of a kiss on her cheek. And every time she knew it was _him_. And every time he never spoke. Until one awful day.

She stared at her Mother's grave; the polished marble did nothing to convey the sparkle she had in life. The realisation that it should all come to this, that a deep dark hole in the ground would be the final resting place, her final sleep…She was ashamed to wonder how much closer she'd be to _his_ world under the Earth.

"It's not fair." She whispered. And this time she meant it.

But he was there. Behind her once more, a comforting hand on her shoulder.

"Say your right words." He whispered, and her body shivered. It was the first time she had heard his voice since that fateful night in the Labyrinth.

And for the first time she turned to look at him.

"I wish to return to the Underground."

* * *

**A/N: Here it is, my first venture into Labyrinth fanfiction! Do review and tell me what you thought, hopefully I should be updating frequently if anyone is interested in it continuing.**

**Alexandria**


	2. Prologue - Part 2

There was silence. For a while Sarah could only contemplate just how very loud the sound of nothing truly was. Her eyes were closed tightly, her breath labored as she tried to regain a sense of where she was. Had she really said the words? Had she really wished herself away? In searching her mind she could see the answer as clear as day.

Yes.

And when she asked herself why she had let her tongue betray her so, the answer tickled in the back of her head.

Because this is what you want.

Steeling herself, she took a shaky breath, preparing herself for the consequences of her words. As they opened they took a moment to adjust the light once more. It took her only a second to realize that she hadn't moved.

The heady scent of the graveyard still hung low in the air, the sun rapidly disappearing below the horizon. For a moment she was stunned, her mouth opening and closing, working wordlessly as she tried to understand. She glanced around, searching for any sign of the phantom man that was before her only seconds ago.

"Goblin King?" She whispered, her voice travelling across the land only to return to her with a sad resignation. No one was there to hear it.

She began to panic, her heart thudding hard in her chest.

"Jareth?" Her voice was hoarse as she turned in circles, trying to find a trace that he had been there. That she wasn't crazy.

"I said the words. I said them!" Sarah cried out, the tears in her eyes burning her cheeks as they cascaded.

But Jareth was gone. He had abandoned her.

Sarah would come to remember that night as one of the longest she had ever endured. Her body was torn between fleeing from the humiliation of believing he would help her to the tiny spark of faith that if she simply waited long enough…he would come back.

But as the hours passed and the chill of the night began to soak into her spine, she found her legs carrying her to the car, turning on the engine and driving away.

* * *

Jareth watched the forlorn figure tread softly across the dry grass, sheltering himself from those cruel eyes in the branches of a tree. He cursed his soul. He had been so close, so close to taking her away. It went against every rule he had mercilessly followed as King; he knew the consequences of such an action. He could take children, but he could not take _her_.

But as he looked into those emerald orbs of hers he could not help feel an exquisite ache in his heart. And she had asked, by the Gods she had nearly begged him to take her. Stupid girl. She had no idea what it would mean to give herself over to the Goblin King. And she would hate him for it.

He had been foolish so far. Just because he could not take her did not mean he could not give himself the small satisfaction of watching her. He remembered the first night he had granted himself that one small mercy.

Bound in his winged form he flew above her small town, gliding through the clouds as his mind raged against him. It had been years since he had seen her. Years. The mere memory of the time spent staring at the cold granite of his castle walls and replaying the memories of their brief meetings was torture. But he had allowed it, for the sweet poison of her image made him feel something for the first time in centuries. At first he thought it was hate. He convinced himself that he despised the young girl, from the emerald orbs of her gaze to the soft pout of her lips; he had tried to turn his heart against her. It was only when his treacherous mind allowed the remembrance of her self-satisfied smiles and barbed comments that he had come to realize the truth. She was his Champion. The only girl to have bested the Labyrinth, one he had made of his own design. As his thoughts plunged deeper, aided by the copious barrels of Goblin wine did he begin to realize what that meant. He had made the Labyrinth, crafted it from his own forgotten nightmares and dying dreams, his very soul had been laid bare before her. Yet she did not cower in fright. She did not run. She had gazed at the very core of his being and started her journey with a smile. She had conquered his Labyrinth, yes…but perhaps without either of them realizing it, she had conquered him.

The night his thoughts had wandered down that dangerous road he remembered the way his gloved hands curled around his goblet, the delicate crystal shattering beneath his fingertips. How dare she. How dare she stare him in the face after perusing his very soul and deny him. The foolish girl barely knew what she had done, and yet the anger and desire he felt pulsed through his veins as one, igniting his heart into a startling decision. Almost without his mind acknowledging it, his body carried him to the window, the very same window where he had perused her dreams of ballrooms and princes. And he had gifted them to her. How very generous. With that final thought and a growl, he hurled himself from the ledge, his muscles tightening and shortening; skin prickling as feathers sprouted through every pore. It was always an uncomfortable transformation; the physical exertion of his bones and muscles rearranging themselves had always left him shaking and flying low for a while. But not tonight. Tonight he would see little Sarah Williams and make her realize what she had done.

* * *

Flying above the town he could see the familiar figure of her home, the rooftop arching below him. With the wind screeching around him he circled the house to find her window, landing on the ledge with as much grace he could muster.

To his shame the rage inside of him dampened as he saw the girl. In the flurry of emotions he had almost forgotten. Years. It had been years. And by the Gods those years had changed her. She sat hunched over a desk, pen hovering over a sheet of paper. But it was a different body from which he remembered. She used to be a little thing, puppy fat in her cheeks and the traitorous promise of curves yet to grow had taunted him with the knowledge that she was not yet ready for him. Not quite ripe. But even now as a shiver ran through him he could see that she was still not quite there. It was like viewing a half finished tapestry when the final strands had not been woven into place. Her limbs had lengthened and thinned, and in the darkness he could see the delicious curve of breasts and thighs that were welcoming womanhood. Her teeth were toying with cherry plumped lips, the midnight fall of her hair covering most of her face from him. But as she gave a quick shake of her head, clearing her mind of some lost thought did he remember her cruelty and his reason for such a reckless journey.

He tapped against the glass, beak hitting the cold pane three times. Her head turned to him slowly, and for the first time he saw her eyes again. Those cruel eyes gazed at him like shards of jade in the night, sparking the painful memory of those words.

_You have no power over me_

How dare she.

Sarah had left her seat, walking slowly towards the window with a wary expression. He tapped against the window again.

"Shoo!" She said, the shaking of her hands betraying the false confidence she wore. For a moment Jareth contemplated breaking the window. As he felt his body trembling, preparing the bones to split and break once more into his preferred form she spoke.

"It's not fair you know. To show someone something like that and take it away." Sarah whispered, and given his magnified hearing it seemed as if she had whispered it like a lover in his ear. But he did not know what she meant.

"I lost myself in fairytales…everyday, I just…And then you showed up and showed me that they were real. It was all real. And 13 hours later you sent me home and I've got to just forget. How can I forget that there's something more to life than going to school and getting a job and settling down, and I…." She stopped herself, and Jareth waited with baited breath, his heart caught in a trembling he had not expected.

She was in pain. Of all the things he expected it was not that she would suffer just as he did. The anger in him died a quiet death, retreating to the recesses of his thoughts.

"I don't hate you for taking Toby. But I hate you for that." With a quick slight of hand she moved the curtains, disappearing from sight. The loss of her seemed to hurt even more than it did the first time.

Everything had changed after that night. He had expected the same smug little girl, self righteous in her arrogance and ready to use her wicked tongue to slice him again with her words. But she was different. She was almost fragile, damaged. They were the same. In truth he knew it was a good thing that Sarah had enough sense to close the curtains on him, because if he had kept his gaze upon her for even a moment longer he would have stolen her away. But he made a vow that night. He would allow himself those small moments of grace, allow himself to be near her for even a few precious seconds to ease both of their suffering. Even if he couldn't take her, he would still have this.

* * *

The next time shook the very core of him. The goblins in his castle shivered as he paced the throne room, tapping his cane loudly against his thigh and almost grateful for the blossoming pain it gave him. He knew what she was doing. Without even crystal gazing he knew it. He had spent hours watching her dance with a young man raucously, but when he saw her grab the boy's hand and pull him away from the throng of people he knew. His fingers twitched, another crystal forming a soft weight against his fingertips. Gazing into it he saw her. His Sarah. His precious girl crushed under the weight of some panting drunkard. He sneered, about to toss the crystal away, shattering the sight before him. But that was until he saw the trembling of her hands, the fluttering of her eyes as she gazed around the room beneath the kiss. His gaze softened. She was scared. The poor girl had jumped headfirst into something without even realizing what she was doing. Again. With a sigh he looked over to the shaking pile of goblins and started to his bedchamber. The mirror that hung from the expanse of wall opposite his bed was the only portal he would allow himself tonight. He feared that if he allowed a physical presence he might do something he would regret. He blew softly on the mirror, watching as he made ripples in the glass that trembled into another sight.

Sarah.

Oh Sarah.

Her hair was mussed and her face pale, lipstick smeared across her face. In other circumstances the sight would have been inviting, but the fear and drunken stupor she was in shattered the illusion. He allowed his eyes to wander over to the boy in the rumpled bed linen before casting an eye back to her. His words caught in his throat, his body allowing him only a simple shake of his head. He wanted to tell her not to do it, not to do something that she would regret and hate herself for. A sly voice whispered in the back of his mind that he only wanted to keep her for himself; he wanted to be the one to spoil her innocence and reclaim what she had denied him. Quieting the voice he bowed his head, allowing the mirror to ripple back to normality. It had to be her choice. But just before the portal closed completely he heard his Champion's words.

"I think you should leave."

And for the first time in a long time, Jareth allowed himself a small smile of triumph.

* * *

The first time he had allowed himself a physical presence in her world had been almost too much to bear. It had been a few months since he last saw her, and the amount of time he had spent crystal gazing had become almost unhealthy. He knew at the very least it was obsessive. It seemed to be the Eve of the New Year in Sarah's world, and he could not quite bring himself to feel triumph or happiness when the object of her affections denied her a kiss, choosing instead to lose himself in another. The emotion bubbled away under the surface, but the sight of her tears seemed to quell them. Just as they always did. He closed his eyes and felt the breeze change as he crossed over into her world. When he opened them he found himself gazing at the back of her head, perhaps a little closer than he intended to be. But the pale expanse of her skin that was exposed to him in her dress seemed to break his heart just a little more. The chiming of a clock rang through the night, and he presumed it brought back memories of their final meeting for both of them. He closed his eyes, allowing an arm to encircle her waist and feel her warmth. He imagined a scene long ago. He could imagine 13 chimes, not 12. And instead of loss and her denial of him he imagined her acceptance and that this was his triumph. Sarah Williams in his arms and the bells ringing for a new dawn with his Champion by his side.

"What do you want?" She whispered, shattering the illusion. He withheld a sigh, choosing only instead to place a soft kiss atop her head. He left her in the next moment, cradling his heart in his hands with a dream that was not meant to be.

* * *

After that, it happened more often than he cared to admit. He supposed it was those damned tears of hers. They called to him, begging him to ease their journey and silence them all together. A kiss upon her cheek and a hand against her skin was all he ever allowed himself. But he never allowed her to gaze upon him again. He would not be subject to those cruel eyes.

And now here he was. He knew it was all a mistake when he started visiting her, somehow he knew they would end up here. She had wished himself away and he would damn himself to all of the Gods above and below for not just taking her. Maybe he had grown soft over the centuries. Maybe he was stronger than he thought himself to be. But he knew at that moment that in her sorrow she did not mean it, and the triumph of having and keeping her would mean nothing if that were the case. But he would wait for all time if he had to. After all, to him he supposed forever was not long at all.

* * *

**A/N: I hope the second chapter was pleasing, it took a while but I got there in the end! Hopefully updates will be more frequent from now on**


	3. The Wrong Words

Sarah Williams. Daughter. Sister. Friend. Failure. She was sure that's what it would say on her gravestone.

She gazed at the pieces of paper scattered before her on the wooden floor of her home, the words and half scribbled sentences on the white pages blinding her. With a sigh she sat and crossed her legs, idly plucking one page from the ground.

_The Labyrinth was vast and incomprehensible. All number of strange creatures lurked within its depths, waiting for a poor soul to cross them. If you dared utter the right words then they would steal away a child, turning him into a Goblin forever._

She read her own words back to her with a scowl and crumpled the paper into a small ball, almost wishing it to disappear. That wasn't right. It wasn't _true_.

She was 23 years old, and anxious that the dawn of her 24th birthday was approaching. Ever since her mother had died a year ago she had been all too aware of how fragile and short a life truly was. She glanced to a small silver photo frame hanging in the corner of the room. Linda Williams was it's only inhabitant, beaming that stunning smile of hers to anyone that glanced upon it. But Sarah supposed that was what she had always been good at. Her mother knew just the right way to flutter her eyelashes at the camera, just the right way to smile at a stranger from the stage and make them fall in love. And now even after her death, she was still making people fall in love through one simple photo. Sarah saw it in everyone that crossed the threshold of her home. The repairmen, the deliverymen, even a few of her friends' eyes had lingered for just a little too long. The thought made Sarah smile. Her mother truly was a star.

Linda never had the chance to grow old and watch her hair turn to grey or her eyes lose their light. She never saw the crow's feet and lines scorch her otherwise perfect face. In some twisted thought Sarah believed that was what her mother would have wanted. Eternal love and beauty. With a sigh Sarah looked away. At least she had the memories of their time together, however few and fleeting. At least the car crash couldn't take that away from her.

And now she had to forge her own path and her own life. In truth she had thought she would be further than she was now. She passed college with a degree in English Literature; her academic accomplishments were without a fault. But was that all there was? If you asked her father she was sure he would say yes. Sarah however, was less certain. She still lived in the same little town, albeit in a house she could call her own. She saw the same people, the same friends, the same everything everyday and she was sure that the monotony of it was killing her. She was a 23 year old virgin living the same small life. That was why she had started 'The Labyrinth'.

Once when she had visited Toby, Karen had pulled out a bedraggled black notebook asking if she could toss it in the trash. Sarah eyed the leather bound pages and realized with a start that it was her old journal. With a stutter she grabbed the book away from her stepmother, and with a shrug Karen went back to cleaning. Upon returning home Sarah thumbed through the pages, heart thudding dangerously at the old sketches and notes. The Labyrinth. Over the years her mind had glossed over the details of the memory. Something she once swore she would never let happen. A tear fell from her eye as her fingers traced the harsh outline of Hoggle. She thought in that moment that he was the only true friend she ever had.

One word on the final page startled her.

Jareth.

A wave of memories flooded back to her that she tried hard to push away. As she grew and time passed she had become unsure if her 'encounters' with him were real imagined. Hell, she was unsure if any of it had been real. But the chords that the sight of his name strummed against her heart had to be real. It had to be. That was the night that she decided she would never let the memories die again. She would write them down and share her stories with the world. If everyone knew her story and if it could be real to them, even only if only in their imagination, then maybe she wouldn't feel like she was crazy.

But after years of oppressing the memories the details had become hazy. She could barely decipher what her half scribbled notes her teenage self even meant anymore. So there she found herself, surrounded by her own words and unsure what the truth in any of it was.

But she remembered _him_.

She was almost ashamed that she could recall every minute detail, every word that rolled across his tongue more than the exact shade of blue in Hoggle's eyes. But then she supposed meeting someone like him would leave an imprint on anyone. With an unsure hand she picked up her pen, touching the nib gently to a fresh white page. She closed her eyes.

_If you were to ever lay eyes on the ruler of the Labyrinth you would see for the first time in your life what true fear meant. For a man of such thin stature he exuded strength, power and every forgotten part of a dream and a nightmare that you wished to remember. From the way he stood to the drawl of his tongue, he could raise you up and cut you down with a simple curve of his lips. To parlay with such a man would be a dance with the devil, the temptation of his words would haunt you for the rest of your life. He could offer you your dreams. He could steal them away forever. _

_They called him the Goblin King. _

Sarah let the dam inside her mind break that night, pouring out her secret thoughts and fears about the man she had spent much of her life thinking about be painted across the page. It was cathartic almost. Looking back at the words made it seem like someone else's story, the story of someone else's dreams dying. And it was good. Maybe she could do this, maybe she could publish it, and maybe if she shared the burden with the rest of the world she could sleep easy, just for one night.

For the first time in a long time, Sarah allowed herself a smile of triumph.

* * *

Jareth groaned. He could feel the air bristling with the beginnings of something that he had come to know very well. He was being summoned. The goblins in the room hooted with excitement, running to gather around their King as they listened for the words. As the small creatures hobbled and skipped towards him, sloshing copious amounts of ale on the floor, Jareth gave them a disdainful look. It wasn't their fault really; he supposed his goblins didn't truly understand what a summons meant. To them it was just a game, another child to play with and runner to taunt. To Jareth it was evidence of the selfishness of humans. He knew they were an unkind race, loud and crass and all too intent on self destruction. But the wishing away of their own children? It was unthinkable. To a race such as the Fae who struggled to bear any of their own at all, all Jareth saw was wasteful greed and selfishness. But nevertheless, he was the King. He was the Goblin King. And a duty was a duty.

He sat forwards in his throne, bringing a gloved finger to his lips. The goblins before him hushed, only a few giggles of excitement escaping them.

"Goblin King…" A small voice echoed around the room, and Jareth strained to hear it. It was a boy. A young boy. He withheld a sigh.

"Goblin King, wherever you may be. Take this child of mine far away from me!" The boy finished, a hopeful lilt tipping the end of his voice. Jareth frowned as his goblins groaned and started to slouch away.

"Why's no one getting it right anymore?" One goblin grumbled, throwing his empty goblet on the floor. They all began to chatter amongst themselves.

"They're not the right words!"

"That's the tenth time this month!"

"They won't say the right words."

"What are the right words again?"

"Quiet." Jareth said, his voice low and dangerous. All eyes turned to him, fearful of what the latest upset would do to their tempestuous ruler. He cast an eye over the crowd, fingers tightening on his riding crop. The goblins gasped as he pointed it swiftly at the smallest amongst them.

"You there." The little goblin swallowed hard, wiping his claws on the already filthy brown smock. He bowed low, a scruffy head of hair touching the floor, as he got ready to plead with the King to spare him from the bog. As he kept his eyes lowered he heard the sound of Jareth's boots coming closer, and uncontrollably started to shake. The riding crop found it's way under the goblin's chin, lifting his head up.

"What did you just say?" Jareth said, slowly and carefully, as if dreading the answer. The goblin swallowed loudly. With a sigh Jareth tapped the crop underneath the creatures chin again.

"If I have to ask you again I will send you headfirst into the bog."

"I said it's the tenth time this month, your majesty." The little voice squeaked and sighed as the stick was taken away.

"The tenth time." Jareth murmured to himself, pacing amongst the silent crowd. How could that even be? He barely got a handful of summons a year, let alone ten in one month. And _none_ of them knew their right words. Not a single one. He turned back to the goblin who was dusting himself off.

"What is your name?" The goblin turned back with wide eyes.

"Scrabs, your Majesty." Jareth nodded, settling back in his throne.

"Scrabs, I have a very important job for you. I want you to go to the Above world and find out why so many people have been calling on us. And more importantly…I want you to find out why they aren't saying their right words."

With a wave of his hand he watched the goblin vanish from the throne room, and resisted the prickling urge in his fingertips to conjure another crystal. Ever since his meeting with Sarah in the graveyard he had tried to quell the obsessive habit. He knew that this vice of watching her had consumed his very being. So much so that he had neglected his own duties as a King. But in the end he thought it was for the best, he would let her have her mourning period for her mother without his involvement. Beyond that he had no plan. But he knew that the urge to see his little human girl was becoming all encompassing.

He let his head rest back against the uncomfortable throne, rubbing his eyes with one leather clad hand. If the Gods could see how pathetic he was now. It had been months, months since he had seen her. His body practically hummed with need.

A soft clatter of claws on the stone floor alerted his attention. Lifting his head he found himself gazing at Scrabs.

"I told you not to return until you found out what was happening in the Above world." His voice was cold, slicing through the now silent throne room.

"Majesty, Scrabs found something." The goblin said quietly, and Jareth sat forwards in his throne, expectant.

"I went to human boys house, the one who didn't know his right words. I found this." Jareth reached forwards to take the object from Scrabs, his hands curling around the unmistakable spine of a book. He turned it around, his eyes widening at the cover.

'The Labyrinth' by 'Sarah Williams'

Jareth stared at the name, fingertips tracing the gold gilded lettering. Sarah Williams. _Sarah_. He felt the corners of his mouth twitch, and to his goblins surprise waves of laughter poured from him, raucous and booming. Slowly, they all began to laugh. None of them quite knew what the joke was but they liked it when he laughed.

Casting a bemused eye over the goblins before him he held out a hand.

"You there! Bring me some of that god awful ale." A goblin complied with a smile. A drunk King was always better than an angry King. Unless said King was both angry and drunk. Then that was no good. He hurried over to the slouched figure, claws clutched around the large goblet.

"What's the occasion 'Majesty?" He squeaked, settling himself at his feet.

Jareth only smiled, bringing the cup to his lips. He savoured the warm liquid, wondering if it was the bittersweet alcohol or the taste of an impending victory that coated his tongue.


	4. The Dawn Approaches

**A/N: Thanks so much to all those who reviewed and favourited, it really does help the motivation to keep going with the story!**

* * *

Sarah Williams. Daughter. Sister. Friend. Writer.

With a smile she opened up the cardboard box that had been delivered to her door, marvelling at the smell of the fresh books. Laying a hand on them she could almost feel the warmth of the printers.

But there was a tickle in the back of her mind, a truth that only she knew. Written down on the pages of a book she could believe that the Labyrinth was just a story. Trapped in ink and paper she found that truly, she could sleep at night. She could talk about it openly, not in hushed conversations to Merlin. Hell, she could even read thesis upon thesis on the elusive Goblin King and his motives. Yet even reduced to a story, it did not stop her mind from drifting to it.

She wondered about Jareth mostly, pondering why she never saw him anymore. Ever since her mother's death he was strangely absent, leaving a peculiar feeling of abandonment. At the thought she hushed her mind with a sharp pinch. She was going through uncertain times and imagined him as some kind of anchor to her childhood. She repeated this to herself again and again. If she would allow herself to believe it had all happened...well…she didn't want to see the therapy bills for that.

She laid one hand on the books before her, tilting her head in amusement. Even though she had told herself time and time again that it wasn't real, she still couldn't bring herself to put down the _right_ words onto the page. Call it superstition, but a small part of her didn't want to risk hundreds of children wishing away their siblings because she had told them how. So she lied, scribing the silly rhyme she had first cried out. It was almost funny; she never cared much for any other superstitions.

* * *

Flames burned low in the castle, casting an eerie glow across the vast library. No one had tended to them for hours, leaving the embers gasping for timber. But the lone figure slouched haphazardly across a reclining scarlet armchair hardly noticed. He was far too engrossed with a storybook reciting an all too familiar tale.

Jareth turned the page of the book, an eyebrow raised here and there at an outlandish detail, a smirk appearing whenever the author got it just right. But he thought his heart seemed to stop as his eyes fell on one particular passage.

_As the girl closed her eyes, the stars began to dance and the heavens began to sing. She felt the weight of her lift until she felt like she was floating, fluttering until she became one with the breeze._

_As she opened her eyes once more, the sight that greeted her both overwhelmed and delighted her. It was a ballroom. Cobwebs hung from candelabra, diamonds seemed to drip wine, and somewhere an orchestra played a chiming melody. It was enchanting in it's haunted beauty._

_But as she stood, the delicate silk and lace of her gown grasping her figure, she knew she had to find him. The Goblin King._

Jareth stopped, taking a moment to gaze into the dying fire. The shadows danced across the walls, and just for a moment the icy blue of his eyes were haunted. He could almost hear the song he wrote just for her, he could feel the moment he tried to make her understand. He could see the gaze of her eyes. His body was near shaking, urging his mind to read on. He could scarcely believe that the thud of his heart was his own, that Sarah Williams had once again reduced him to a pathetic creature, not fitting of his title or crown. He reached over to the crystal decanter, pouring himself another glass of the wine, the liquid almost black in the dim lighting. He read on.

_Her eyes widened as she met his gaze, her heart trembled with fear and foreboding. He stood across the room, surrounded by women in their regal dress. Yet he only seemed to see her. As he smiled he vanished from sight. She gave chase, following him across the ballroom, knowing that he was teasing her, taunting her. But then she felt his hands grip her waist, pulling her into a delicate dance. His eyes burnt into hers, the duality of them had always been frightening, but at that moment they were beautiful, ethereal in their gaze. He sang to her words of love, whispering of the stars and the moon. Her mind was torn, unable to decide if it was another of his cruel games. But then her mind betrayed her._

_She felt another tremble in her heart and knew that it was not fear this time_

_It would be her darkest secret for years to come. In that moment the trembling of her heart told her that she desired him above all else. In that moment he stole away her dreams, replacing them with ones of him._

Jareth closed the book softly, releasing a breath he had not realised he had been holding. For so many years he had wondered what thoughts had crossed her mind as he offered himself to her. Now he knew. He was unsure if knowing made the betrayal and rejection any better. The fire that coursed through his veins whispered that it did not. The burn of his anger reminded him of the reason he had delved into the book. He was almost confounded when he had realised that she was the reason the right words were lost. She, a human girl, had interfered with an incantation older than time itself. How dare she. She spilled her lies into the world and in doing so banished himself and his kingdom to the ashes. If no one called upon them, if no one sought their magic, then he was sure they would simply all fade away. It had been hard for centuries; the absurd technological advancements of the human world had made them forget the magic. They no longer believed. He could see it in his Labyrinth as he walked its paths, sighing at the damaged brick and fallen branches. The walls did not shine quite like they used to. Now, after Sarah had spun her lies he was sure that they did not shine at all. He cursed himself for not noticing it before. The book was recent, almost freshly published. But it had already sewn its destruction.

Jareth stood from the chair, crossing to the window, his bones weary and mind troubled. It seemed like no matter how hard he tried to forget, she would always find a way to claw him back. She desired him. It was clear in the ink on the page, she dreamt of him. He wondered if that was the true reason for the pain he had seen in her before. She told herself it was the loss of his world and its magic, but could it truly be that it was the loss of him?

He suppressed a shiver in his spine. Maybe this was his chance. He promised himself that he would wait forever; maybe the dawn of his victory was sooner than he thought.

Pushing the glass window open he breathed in the night air. There it was, he could smell it. The life in his land was dying, ever so slowly. He could sense it.

The familiar prickling of feathers and the ache of his bones breaking took over as he soared into flight.

Sarah Williams had almost destroyed him; he would not let her destroy his world.

The dawn of a new day was approaching, and Sarah would soon know all she had done. And by the Gods of above and below, she would yield to him at last.


	5. The Choice

It was night. Stars were smattered across the sky, barely visible as heavy snowflakes had begun to fall. Sarah relished the crunch of her boots in the fresh snow, breathing in the cold air. She was on her way to her father's house; Christmas dinner was probably already laid on the table. Her mind told her that she should hurry if she wanted to avoid the wrath of Karen, but being late had always been a habit of hers. Christmas didn't seem a grand enough tradition to break it.

The town was quiet, it seemed that she was the only one in the streets that night. Houses lined either side of her, the orange glow from the windows spilling onto her path. If she listened carefully she could hear the quiet hum of carols and laughter.

A smile graced her face as she thought back to her Christmas Eve.

* * *

Four glasses of champagne sparkled in the neon lights as they were raised in a toast.

"To Sarah and her Labyrinth!" A girl with a long blonde ponytail grinned, dimples adorning each cheek as she smiled. Sarah bowed her head in modesty as the group nudged and jostled her.

"You're embarrassing me, Kate." She said in a stage whisper as she felt the bubbles rush to her head. Kate shrugged, taking a long draught of champagne.

"Who knew so many years of being a weirdo and living in your own head would pay off."

Another girl seated beside Sarah with long curly hair and sparkling blue eyes reached over the table and nudged her.

"You're so mean." Mary protested, and Sarah reveled in the playful argument her friends had taken to. She thought, for the first time in a long time, that she was finally content. People loved her book, they loved her words. It wasn't a bestseller yet by any means, but it had just been announced that it was going to a second printing. The thought that she had sold the first lot of books and there was demand for more…well, that was more than enough for her. And it wasn't just her words, it was also her friends. They had fallen in love with Hoggle and his tale of redemption; they had loved the gentle soul of Ludo and the brave heart of Sir Didymus. And finally she could talk about them without sounding crazy.

"Sarah, any plans for the sequel?" Kate called over, and Sarah spluttered with a mouthful of her drink.

"Sequel? I haven't even begun to think…anyway, where could the story even go?" She asked, both shocked and yet genuinely intrigued. She had thought the tale was done and dusted. What more could there possibly be?

A redhead with a smattering of freckles rolled her eyes.

"Your protagonist obviously has the hots for this Goblin King. Get them together, give people what they want for God's sake." The group of girls laughed, all except Sarah. She shook her head smile, slowly fading.

"Jess, but that's the point of the book. She was too young to understand and he was…well, he was a predator."

"Really? Sounded pretty in love with her to me." Jess smirked as picked up the heavy bottle, clumsily refilling her glass. Sarah flushed under the harsh lights, the outlandish pink glow masking her blush.

"He tricked her! He took her brother-"

"Didn't she ask him to though?" Mary raised an eyebrow, curls bouncing as she laughed. Sarah bit the inside of her lip. That was one thing she had always struggled with even as she read the book back. The words that Jareth had spoken floated back to her.

_I'm tired of living up to your expectations of me_

In the book she thought she had glossed over that tricky point. Obviously not well enough. She drained her glass.

"Enough. Please. And get me another drink!" The girls whooped as they handed the bottle to her, allowing the neon lights and thumping music to carry them towards the rest of their celebration.

* * *

In the dark of her small town the memory warmed her. As she continued on, she came to a small footpath where she knew she could follow the woodlands and get to her old home in no time at all. Remembering Karen's almost permanent scowl she sighed, changing her direction to follow the wide path. The trees were bare, coated in snow. It was beautiful. Sarah remembered spending so many days and nights in these forests, rehearsing plays and playing princesses. She should have been scared, traversing through empty woodland in the middle of the night. But she felt at home here, more so than anywhere else she thought. Street lamps lined either side of the footpath, casting a fiery orange glow against the ice.

As she cast an eye around, she stilled. Listening.

The wind had stopped howling, the breeze had stopped kissing her cheeks. The hum of carols and laughter had quieted, leaving nothing but the sound of her breathing. In all her life, she thought, she had never heard anything so quiet. It was unsettling.

She clutched at her jumper, folding her arms over her chest at the cold. She was halfway down the path, if she strained she could almost see the pinpricks of light where her father and Toby were waiting. There was no point in turning back. The only way to go was forwards.

_Sometimes the way forwards is the way back…_

"Shut up." She whispered to herself.

She pressed on, slower than before, eyes searching each shadow and branch for something. She did not quite know what though.

A quiet rustle in front of her made her still.

She swallowed, a harsh and unforgiving sound in the quiet night. When she looked back on the memory, she supposed that she had known who it was all along. She had known who had made the birds stop singing and the wind stop howling. She just couldn't admit it to herself.

She raised her eyes to the street light ahead of her, heart thudding dangerously at the shadow that lurked just outside of the light.

"Who's there?" She tried to call out, her voice becoming no more than a strangled whimper. A low laugh answered her.

"Sarah Williams." That voice. That voice that had haunted every dream and thought of hers for years hit her with a delicate hiss. Sarah closed her eyes, squeezing them shut and willing the world around her to just melt away.

"Go away." She whispered, pleading. A quiet tut answered her.

"I'm afraid that is not an option tonight, precious." She opened her eyes once more, a gasp escaping her mouth. Silently, the man had shifted so he stood directly beneath the glow of the streetlight. Standing without fear or apprehension, gazing at her. The Goblin King.

He was swathed in black, from his boots to his cape; the material was darker than the night around him, his skin paler than the snow. Sarah dared to raise her eyes, looking into the face she once knew. He was just as she remembered, the sharp planes of his face both delicate and dangerous with thin lips and piercing eyes, that were at that moment fixed solely on her own.

There was silence as they observed each other. If she had been looking closely she would have seen the Goblin King shiver.

As he gazed upon her he could not but help admire the woman she had become. As the fat of her youth had melted away it gave the illusion that her eyes were larger, vivacious in their emerald glow. The cold had kissed her cheeks and left a rosy blush against pale skin. And as the wind had picked up again it left the ends of her black hair fluttering in the wind, whispering against her face. Oh yes, he thought. She was ready.

Sarah exhaled, her breath misting in front of her face as she gave in to the silence.

"What do you want?" She closed her eyes as she asked, unwilling to see the smirk she was sure would twitch about his lips.

"Little Sarah Williams." He breathed, relishing the way her name tasted against his tongue. He took a step towards her, eyes dragging over her body.

"My my, how you've grown." Sarah stepped back, brow furrowing as she took in his predatory gaze.

"Stay back." She warned, her voice still no more than a low whisper.

"Come now, precious. That is hardly the polite way to greet an old friend."

"Friend?" She spluttered in her shock.

"You were never my friend." There was a shift in the air as she felt his anger bristle. His eyes almost darkened in the light, a scowl appearing on his lips.

"Would you prefer us to be enemies?" He asked, the words a threat more than a question. She turned her face away, trying to control her breathing.

"I'll say it again. What do you want?" Jareth cast her a withering look, almost as if bored by her fear. He slipped a hand beneath his cloak, and Sarah felt her blood turn to ice as it emerged with an all too familiar book. He raised an eyebrow at the surprise on her face, amused almost.

"I must commend you. You write very well." Sarah fought hard not to meet his gaze. He had her book. And if he had her book then that meant he had read it. She cursed herself and the words she had wrote, humiliated by them.

'You claim this as your own?" He asked.

"I wrote it." She admitted. How could she deny it when her name was brazenly scrawled across the cover?

"But it's not your story. It's ours." Her eyes met his as anger flared through her. How dare he claim dominion over her tales, her life? She denied him the privilege once and she would do it again.

"It's mine, make no mistake Goblin King. Now leave me be." She hissed.

The book disappeared once more under his cloak.

"You know I can't do that." She laughed in disbelief at his torment.

"Why? Because you're obsessed with me?"

A small chuckle escaped his lips.

"I'm the obsessive? You, my precious thing, are the one that never left the Labyrinth behind. You wrote, what was it now? 684 words describing everything you could remember about it. And if I'm remembering correctly, you spent half of it trying to delve into my own character. That is what I would call obsessive."

She had no answer, for a moment there was only the sound of heavy breathing as she fought to control her raging emotions.

"Yet you still have no idea of the damage you've done do you? How very predictable." His voice was laden with disappointment.

"What are you talking about?" Sarah cried out her frustration overtaking her. Jareth advanced towards her, the crunch of his boots in snow ominous, the very sound terrified her.

"The words your…_protagonist_ uses. They are the wrong words." At Sarah's confused gaze he continued.

"These words, these _lies_ you've spilled out into your world. They've overtaken the truth. No one knows their right words anymore because of _you_. You will rectify what you've done." He said darkly. At that moment everything became clear to Sarah. Of course. She had told everyone the words to summon the Goblin King but she had lied. She had saved everyone she thought with a smile.

"And have hundreds of children turned into goblins? No thanks." She smirked as she said it, relishing the notion that she had once again bested the Goblin King. This time without even trying.

He growled, closing the distance between them. In one moment she found herself pinned against the bark of a tree, one of his hands clasping her wrists above her head, the other splayed across her chest.

The leather of his gloves was rough against her exposed skin above her jumper, the pressure of the hand suffocating.

"You feel this here? Sarah? That heartbeat of yours pounding away in your chest?" His eyes flickered to hers, and she fought to maintain his gaze.

"All that energy, all that life. So very much alive." He murmured.

Grasping one of her hands he pulled it to his own chest. He nearly hissed at the feel of her soft palm against him, only the supple leather separating them. But he ignored it, pushing the spark away. That was not his goal. Not tonight.

"Feel my own. What does it feel like to you?"

Sarah tried to ignore the warmth of flesh beneath her fingertips. Beneath the pale skin she could feel a rapid heartbeat, although as she pressed her hand closer she realised just how faint it was.

"What's wrong with you?"

He let her go, and she gasped as her boots once more touched the ground

"The heart of me is wasting away. The heart of the labyrinth is dying. We are fading away into the darkness. All because of you and those torrid little lies of yours."

Sarah gazed at him, for the first time truly seeing. His skin was always pale, like alabaster and marble, but it was different than before. Before it held life, the voracious appetite of a man never sated. Now it was almost dull. It was only his eyes that held their glow now. But still, a secret part of her observed that he was still just as beautiful. Despite the cacophony of feeling she had towards him, she never truly wished him any harm.

"I didn't mean for anyone to get hurt." She whispered, allowing one small moment of weakness. He shook his head almost in pity.

"You never do, Sarah."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Toby, Hoggle, Ludo, Sir Didymus, me? You hurt us all. You hurt your parents, you hurt yourself, all because of that stubbornness and arrogance you seem so fond of." He finished with a glowering look to her. Sarah bristled.

"How dare you-"

"How dare you! How dare you. How dare you go through life destroying everything you touch. You'll destroy a world older than this Earth because you dare." His voice echoed through the trees, his rage and disgust hitting her like a dagger through the heart.

Sara bit her lip, closing her eyes as a tear fell.

'What about them? Hoggle?" Jareth waved a hand dismissively.

"He'll fade too. Just like the rest of them."

"I don't want anyone to die." Not her friends, not Hoggle. Jareth met her gaze once more.

"Oh no Sarah. We won't die. Something much worse will happen to us. We'll cease to exist. We'll never be and never will have been. My world will crumble away to nothing. All because of you." Sarah ran a hand over her face, the cold of her tears bitter and sharp against her cheeks.

"What can I do?" She lamented.

Jareth waved her away, averting her gaze with a scowl.

"Tell me what I can do and I'll fix it."

"You can start by correcting yourself. Write another book, send a letter, I don't care. Just fix this. And tell people their right words." Sarah shook her head in despair.

"I can't let those children be wished away."

Jareth skulked towards her, lips merely inches from hers

"Then you condemn us all to hell."

"Anything else. Anything but that, please. Just tell me." As Jareth gazed down at the crying girl he stilled. Did he dare? The darkness in his mind whispered to him and the delicious thought made him shiver. Oh yes. He would dare. He stepped away from her, trying to hide the victorious grin on his lips.

"I'm afraid you won't be so open to this option either precious." Sarah wiped her eyes, gazing imploringly at him.

"Anything. Just…I can't let those kids be taken. If people know the words…then I won't let it be because of me."

Jareth placed a hand under her chin, tilting her head this way and that. Gazing at her almost like a dog on auction. The cold indifference in his eyes burned her.

"Our worlds have been lost to the other for centuries. We used to live alongside each other you know. My kind and yours, working together for a brighter future. But your race, you seem to think you know it all and you forsake us, choosing your science over the magic and wonder our world has to offer. So we fractured, you went your way and we went ours." Sarah swallowed, all too aware of the painful pressure of his hand against her chin.

"If you, my sweet Sarah, chose to return to the Underground with me and set about rebuilding those ties…well, I think that will do nicely. There would be much more power in that than a silly book." He let her chin go and her hand immediately reached up to rub the sore flesh.

"I don't understand." She said, her body shaking at the prospect of what he was asking. He couldn't, he wouldn't dare. _She_ couldn't.

"I want this world and my world to be one again. My land will strengthen and prosper and I'm sure yours will find some advantage. You humans always do. And you can help."

"But how can I help?" Jareth raised an eyebrow at her as if he were surprised that she didn't fully understand yet.

"You and I will build this world together, a world all of our own. Side by side. Forever." Sarah's had clasped over her mouth, her eyes widening at the smile that had reached the Goblin Kings lips.

"I can't."

"It's one or the other Sarah. Be grateful that you have a choice." She shook her head.

"And what if I don't?"

"Then my people will die. You will be the cause of genocide. Do you want that?" Her stubborn silence told him that she knew he was right. Gazing at her she did look rather pitiable. Her eyes were scorched red with the mark of her tears, her lower lip almost ruined by the constant bite of her teeth. He supposed he would grant her one small mercy.

"Before you decide you may spend the Yule Tide with your family. But I expect you here tomorrow with your choice." He sighed, readjusting his gloves as if none of it really mattered to him. Before she could reply he spoke once more.

"And if you don't turn up…well, I'll have to take you by force. And I will find you, Sarah. Wherever you'll hide…I'll find you." He finished; his voice was so low that it rumbled through Sarah's body like thunder.

He stepped out of the streetlight, vanishing into the shadows once more. But just before the sight of him was lost Sarah heard one more thing.

"You have 13 hours."


End file.
